Benfica's Coentrao heads Tottenham's summer hit list
Published 23:01 09/04/11 By Steve Stammers
Harry Redknapp has drawn up a short list of targets to boost his Tottenham squad – and top of it is Benfica defender Fabio Coentrao.
The 23-year-old is the kind of attacking left-back that Redknapp admires.
He has watched him play both for his club and Portugal and he wants to bring him to London.
Spurs are well-served down the left with Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Gareth Bale. But Redknapp knows that his squad needs to be strengthened – especially with doubts about the long-term futures of defenders Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate.
The stumbling block could be the price.
Benfica will ask for £12million, but if Spurs seal a top-four league finish again to bring the lucrative return of Champions League football, then chairman Daniel Levy would be tempted to splash out for the 23-year-old.
Another player Redknapp still hopes to recruit is Scott Parker, but that will depend on West Ham’s battle against relegation.
If the Hammers go down, then a £8.5m offer for the 30-year-old midfielder is likely to be accepted.
